Batman & Arrow - Arkham Redemption
by matththomas2905
Summary: Bruce Wayne made the ultimate sacrifice to save his city. His demise left Gotham without a guardian, without a warrior, without a Batman. Dick Grayson heads up the remaining members of the Bat-Family. However, when a new threat targets Bludhaven, Gotham City and Star City, Dick teams up with Oliver Queen (Green Arrow) to oppose the newest enemy to threaten their respective cities.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

 _GCPD, six months after_

'Criminals are a cowardly and superstitious lot. The only way to beat them was to give them something to be scared of.'

These words had stuck with James Gordon for years. All through his years of police work, yet it was not his training that had imprinted these beliefs upon him. Despite this he never questioned its logic, especially during his time as Commissioner, or what was left of it.

Gordon jumped as his office phone rang, he had been daydreaming again and not for the first time. Since that night six months ago these instances had become more frequent, as if he was waiting for something or someone to snap him out of it. He kept waiting to see that shadow at his window, which usually grabbed his increasingly wavering attention.

"Gordon," he answered, with a surprising amount of annoyance.

"Commissioner?" Aaron Cash replied. "Jim is everything alright?"

"Sorry Aaron, had another moment I'm afraid."

"Commissioner, Jack Ryder is here for your interview?"

'Oh crap!' Gordon thought. He had been dreading this moment, ever since he was ordered to appear in a profile piece concerning his role in the events three years ago.

"Send him in Aaron," he growled back.

No sooner had the receiver been slammed down, Ryder strode into Gordon's office. He wore the same suit as his last meeting with the commissioner, blue pin striped with a Gotham Herald tie wrapped around a stained white shirt. His classes propped on the end of his nose, which he pushed back to his eyes, something he did every time he walked into a room. An action he claimed made people pay attention when he entered a room. A 20 year-old cassette recorder hung round his neck, now known as one of Gotham's most wanted items.

"Thank you for meeting with me Commissioner," Ryder smirked as he sat down the other side of Gordon's desk.

"Let's get one thing straight Ryder, I'm only doing this because I'm under orders from the Mayor!"

"Come on Jim…"

"Since when did I say you could call me Jim, Ryder?!"

"Come on Commissioner, you and me we're war buddies now. I was there that night too, remember? I helped in the capture of Deacon Blackfire did I not?"

"Let's get on with this," Gordon mumbled.

Ryder set his tape recorder down on the desk right next to Gordon's name plague, not that you could read any of it, as it not been polished for months. A notepad and pen followed out of Ryder's briefcase, clicking the pen Ryder steadied himself ready to begin.

 _Click!_

"So Commissioner…it has been six months since the Scarecrow held Gotham in terror, what can you remember of that night?"

Only one thing had entered Gordon's head, the sight of his daughter Barbara in the grasp of that madman. Jonathan Crane, also known as the Scarecrow, had kidnapped her as part his elaborate plot to control Gordon and bring an end of Gotham's legacy.

"I remember it being the worst night of my life, and that is saying something," Gordon's voiced nearly cracking, those images had haunted him ever since.

Ryder had not noticed the Commissioners change of tone, he merely scribbled into his notepad. Gordon realised that he had written more than the words he had spoken, but at this point he didn't care, he just wanted this out of the way.

"Since those terrible events Commissioner, crime rates have increased by over 50%. Why do you think that is?"

Now Gordon was angry, he now knew Ryder's real intentions, this was no profile piece.

"You listen to me Ryder!" Gordon shouted, jumping up from his chair and slamming his fists into the desk. The tape recorder jumped off the desk and clattered to the floor in front of Ryder, who sat there motionless, he had seen worse in his time.

"Six months ago, Gotham City lost one of its favourite sons to a deluded madman who wished to see normal people quivering in fear of who had sworn to protect them.

One man that dedicated his life to protect this city and its people right up to his dying breath. And I will not let you drag his name through the mud!"

Gordon turned away in disgust and stared out his office window. His face glowed red as the lights of the theatre across the street glowed brightly through the rain.

It never stops raining in Gotham City, it rained that night, it rained the night of the Arkham City raid and it rained on that fretful day on Arkham Island. The night were it really all began.

He had survived all that and more, but it was clear it was taking its toll. The city at its knees as terror filled the streets, a desolate wasteland, just to prove a point! And Barbara out there in the thick of it. In the middle of that danger and insanity. He was strangely proud of his little girl, far flung from the nerdy teenager studying for her doctorate all those years.

"You can quote me Ryder. That night Gotham City lost its identity. This city lost its saviour. It lost a hero.

Now get out!"

Ryder jumped, he had never seen the Commissioner so agitated. He thought it best to beat a hasty retreat, there was nothing else he was going get out of Gordon now.

"Commissioner do you really believe that Batman was a hero?" he asked tentatively.

Gordon continued to stare out the window, this time to the sky his eyes seeming to be scanning, becoming quicker and quicker as they searched the darkness. Ryder stared back, but it seemed his question had fallen upon deaf ears. He turned the door knob and the door creaked open, as he walked out the inscription of _Commissioner_ glared across his glasses. The door closed behind him, casting a shadow of the word along the floor of the now silent office.

"No not Batman…Bruce Wayne."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 _Bludhaven, 2 years after_

It seemed to be a cliché for his line of work, but it never stopped Dick Grayson. He was used to using his balance to perfectly perch, his eyes scouring the rooftops and streets below him. Car brakes screeched as motorists continued to cut each other up and the odd cry of a sole newspaper seller rising above the commotion.

He had been taught to conceal himself in darkness, despite living most of his early years in the spotlight. As the youngest of a high flying circus trio, known as _The Flying Grayson's_ , he was used to flying high above massing crowds and tall structures. Remembering the nights he would don that bright red and green circus outfit and climbing those perilous steps to the platform, seemingly more dangerous than what he and his parents were about to attempt with the buckling bolts as they ascended.

This was different but he still felt that adrenaline rush, looking down upon the world, his stage, his audience. However, tonight he was not in the mood for entertaining. Four hours of patrol were frying his brain, he had been out all night tracking down his target and had only turned up plenty of cold leads.

Oswald Cobblepot had been a thorn in Dick's side for years, his gun running operation kept Bludhaven in a constant state of conflict, ever since the collapse of his weapons empire in Gotham. And since the fall of Scarecrow, three years ago, he had retreated to try and rebuild. With the gun trade running low in Gotham and Metropolis, leaving only Bludhaven and Star City as open markets and new clients becoming available, with more masks rallying to Gotham.

Dick reached down to his utility belt, tapping a little black button situated on the tip of the third joint of his right hip, activating the earpiece tucked inside his left ear.

"All units, we have a 10-71 reported at the Phraim Moore Housing Project. Five suspects, all armed. Possible hostage situation. Over"

'Well, at least I'd have done something tonight.' Dick thought to himself. 'Plenty of dead ends, let's get some action!'

Without hesitation, he leapt from his perch and began to freefall towards the rushing car headlights, speeding up and down the street. The wind pulling at his mask as the g-forces strained his cheeks. Yet, calmly, he pulled out a grappling hook from the back of his utility belt. And with the softest click, the hook was propelled towards a gargoyle situated almost a block further up, its claws extending before digging into the eyes of the snarling creature looking down on the world. Dick felt the cable tighten and the sinews of his arm strain, with a double tap of the button the cable began to retract, catapulting him towards the black heaven above.

The momentum shot Dick into the air and in a split second his arms extended, revealing two wings sprouting from compartments within the carbon weaves of the armour. He began to glide, controlling his level and altitude, dodging the oncoming building with flagpoles extending almost three feet.

After only two minutes of flight, Dick folded in his wings and began to freefall once more. In a matter of seconds, he had fallen almost twenty stories and kept plummeting. But Dick wasn't fazed, his heart kept a constant beat in a perilous drop, another lesson he had learnt in his early crime fighting years in Gotham. The eyes constantly surveying the rushing scenery as the hard cold tarmac loomed closer and closer, but Dick continued to wait for the opportune moment.

Only feet from the ground, Dick flung his arms to his side, opening his wings slowly his decent and gently gliding to the ground, landing without making a sound. He had landed between two apartment blocks, brand new blocks which had only been opened within the last two weeks. Only a hand full of families had moved in, all living upon high to watch the views of the city above the trouble that always brewed on the streets.

As was standard with all local government dwellings, a fire escape twisted its way up each side of the buildings.

'I need to determine in which buildings my targets are situated. It's a big area so I need to work fast.' Dick thought, deliberating his next move carefully.

He needed to reach the roof, but it was too dangerous to grapple straight up, as he did not know what he was up against yet. Dick jumped onto the ladder hanging down from the fire escape, pulling himself to the first storey window. Using a metal pick, dispensed from a compartment in his glove, he silently slid the pick through a gap between the window and the wall and clicked the lock open almost silently.

Climbing inside, he heard not a single sound, the building seemed empty but he was not about to take that chance. Activating his cowl, the world suddenly turned a dark blue and a number of skeletons appeared in the distance. Too far away to be within the same building, but close enough to be recognised as armed gunmen.

Dick turned a full 360 degrees and scanned all floors of the building he was currently in and to his pleasure it was, as suspected empty. He could very quickly make it to the roof.

After making it to the roof of the twenty story apartment block, Dick perched himself facing south, giving him a full view of the housing project. Some buildings remained a shell, not even the windows had been installed yet.

But Dick still didn't know which floor the hostages were being held. Always work from the top down, was his theory. Criminal's maybe stupid, but holding them on the roof was beyond even the worst.

Using his cowl, Dick started to create a virtual map of his targets. There were four buildings in the vicinity, but only two hosted gunmen. The first, to the west, harboured four gunmen with three hostages. One covering the south window and the rest circled around the hostages, bound to the floor.

'I'll need to separate the three gunmen, then it'll be easy to take them down, without putting the hostages in danger.

But I need to act fast, I'll only have minutes to move onto the next building before they realise what is happening.'

Turning to the north, the second building was taller, a thirty storey skyscraper. Mainly reserved for the investors to oversee what their money has brought them. With penthouse suites situated on the final three storeys.

And that was where Dick noticed his next set of targets, in the western penthouse, two storeys from the roof. This time only one hostage and three gunmen.

'They only need one reason to kill this hostage. But if I work quickly they won't know what hit them.'

Suddenly, Dick glanced to his left. He thought he had noticed a figure running across the building roof adjacent to him. Activating his cowl, he scanned the entire building, no sign of anyone even in the vicinity.

Still, he continued with caution, grappling himself towards the west building.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Dick swung in low towards the first of his target buildings. He knew, for once, he would have to attack from below and make his introduction a bit more public to separate his targets.

Landing with his two feet pressed against the outside of the building, he was ten floors directly below the gunman covering the window. In order to keep the hostages safe, he needed to move slowly and abseil to the edge of the window.

Clipping his grapple cable to his belt, he began to pull himself towards his first victim. The gunman's firearm poking out, glinting as a searchlight scouted the scene above.

Dick had not even noticed the police presence below, but he knew that they would stay out of his way.

"What's it look like out there?" a voice shouted from inside.

"The pigs have the place surrounded," the gunman guarding the window shouted back. "This distraction seems to be working. Is the transport on its way?"

'I knew it!' Dick thought. 'The hostage in the north building is the priority. While the police are concerned with this situation, the other gunmen can make off with their hostage.'

He could not let it distract him, these hostages were his priority. Without him they would be helpless.

As he continued to hoist himself closer to the open window, the first gunman was becoming more and more agitated. The cowl in Dick's mask had registered that the gunman's heartrate had increased by nearly 20 beats per minute, they were ready to make their next move. Whatever climax they had instore, it was almost imminent.

Without a seconds hesitation, Dick lunged himself upwards towards the window, grabbing the barrel of the automatic rifle hanging out. Instantly pulling the unsuspecting man towards the opening, sending the gun hurtling towards the ground below. Throwing his right hand over the man's mouth, silencing the impending scream. Wrapping his left arm around the shoulders, attaching the helpless goon to the suspended cable that Dick had detached himself from, and flinging him out over the observing street below.

Then the piercing scream.

"What was that?!"

"Hey! Where did Adam go?"

"You stay here. Watch the hostages!"

This was the opportunity Dick was looking for, they were separating, making it easier and quicker for him to pick them off.

One had made a move towards the window that he had just sent the first gunman plummeting out of. The second had repositioned himself towards the barricaded door, opposite the window. And the final gunman was left to continue his watch over the three hostages.

Dick glanced to his left, noticing a ventilation grate, leading directly to the central shaft running through the centre of the building. Firing his grappling hook to the grate, with one yank the grate flew off, Dick jumped and grabbed the ledge of the grate.

He made his way towards the central shaft, working his way to the air conditioning shaft that serviced the room the hostages were being held.

Positioning himself at the ceiling grate, he noticed the gunman tasked with securing the hostages was moving directly underneath the grate. With his target distracted, Dick silently removed the grate and clipping a wire to his belt and began to lower himself silently towards the gunman.

"You don't think it's him do you?" said the gunman guarding the door, not diverting his glance from the barricade.

"So what if it is?!" growled his associate covering the window. "We just need to keep him occupied long enough for the objective to be secured."

Dick slowed his decent, he needed their conversation to end before he made his move or they would kill the hostages.

"We thought he might show up. Just keep it together and secure the room."

Dick's target had now shifted, giving him the perfect window to strike. Once again he sped up his drop to the floor, with the hostages facing the floor there was no chance they would give away his presence.

He stopped three feet short of the carpeted floor and he instantly detached his cable, dropping silently. Almost within the same movement, Dick threw his left hand over the mouth of the gunman and his right arm round his throat. Slowly the gunman began to suffocate, Dick could feel the heartrate slowing, releasing his grip as the gunman passed out.

Dick noticed a dark corner of the room. The perfect place to move the body out of view. This would leave him with enough time to deal with the two remaining goons. Grabbing the arms of the unconscious man, he dragged him slowly into the dark, making sure he attracted no attention.

His attention now turned to the guard at the barricaded door, who had not noticed there was one less body in the room. Dick crept forward, keeping his movements minimal and silent. Being the walking arsenal that he is, Dick grabbed a thick black cylinder from his belt. Clicking a little black button, the cylinder extended at both ends, into a two foot long staff.

Crouching lower to conceal his movement as he moved forward, Dick threw the staff round the neck of his second target. Using the same technique, the penultimate gunman was unconscious.

Now only one remained. And it would be simple.

'He hasn't noticed anything.'

Dick smirked.

'Good.'

No need to keep quiet now. Dick split the staff in two, into makeshift Eskrima clubs, and began to dash across the floor. Picking up pace with every single step. Dick then dived to the ground, sliding to the floor and using his clubs tripped both feet of the final gunman. The gunman grasped for his rifle, but Dick's foot was quickly upon his hand.

"Argh!" the gunman screamed. "You son of bitch! You're breaking my hand!"

"You don't want to see what else I can break!" Dick whispered sinisterly. "Tell me what this 'distraction' is? Who is your target?!"

"You think you frighten me? You're not the bat! Nothing scares us anymore!"

Dick knew he was right. He was not like his mentor, he could not intimidate the way Bruce used to. He had seen Bruce do some inexplicable things to get what he needed. Things he knew that Bruce regretted, but knew he had to do, in order to do what was right.

 _Crack!_

The gunman fell silent as he slumped back, out cold.

Dick walked over to the group of hostages, who had pulled themselves into an upright seated position, beaming with relief in their eyes. He began to cut their bonds and remove the gags.

"Thank you! I thought they were going to kill us!" said the first man.

"It's over." Dick calmly answered back. "What happened?"

"We all received letter days ago, notifying us that maintenance work was due to commence in the building," said a woman who managed to get to her feet. "It claimed we would need to provide the workers access to our apartments when they arrived."

"I received an intercom call at about 6:30PM. They claimed they were workers and they needed access my air conditioning unit. So I let them in," the man said.

"Same thing happened to me," the woman wearily said. "After they arrived, they barged in, stuck a gun in my face and marched me to this room."

"It seems they gathered you here to create a distraction," Dick said, still puzzled by the situation. "The building is clear, make your way to the exits. The police are waiting in the lobby."

Dick sprinted towards the window and acrobatically dived out over the street below, twisting in the air before grappling to the roof.


	4. Chapter 4

Dick set off across the skyline of the housing project, leaping and bounding his way from rooftop to rooftop. All the buildings were compacted together, making it easy for him to traverse between each, as he made his way towards the north building.

Through his cowl, he could see the situation was unchanged. Three targets, one hostage. Normally, Dick would consider this an easy task, but he was wary. Why was this hostage so important? Who is the hostage? Why the distraction?

Suddenly, helicopter rotors could be heard in the distance. Closing in. Had the police realised the ruse?

'No, those rotors don't sound like a single engine chopper,' Dick thought to himself.

Sure enough, seconds later the sound of the rotors became deafening. Dick stopped suddenly, turning on a dime to see the incoming aircraft. A chinook helicopter flew directly over his head, merely feet away from the roof of building. It was making its way to the roof of the north building.

And Dick had noticed that one of the gunmen was moving towards the roof. The remaining two had remained with the hostage. Dick had to move, they were getting ready to leave, if he didn't at least make it the roof of the building he would have no idea where they were going. So he began to sprint once more, he was only three blocks away, but he ran as if he was miles away.

The chinook began to descend towards the helipad onto of the penthouse building. Waving his arms in a downward motion, the gunman gestured the aircraft to land.

"Come on!" he screamed into his earpiece. "Get that thing on the ground! It's time to move out."

"Is the target secured?" the pilot answered back.

"Affirmative!"

Dick was now only one block away. As he leapt from the final rooftop, he aimed and fired the grappling hook to the edge of the roof. Zipping up to the window of the penthouse, he folded himself into a ball and burst through the glass, spraying the glass all over the room and into the eyes of the gunman closest to the hostage. Causing him to drop his gun and loosen his grip on the hostage's arm. Dick drove his foot into the guard's stomach, sending him hurtling into a water feature at the centre of the room.

His partner spun around, his gun raised, fixed on Dick. How could make such a mistake? He'd left himself defenceless. Always clear the arms first. No matter how quick he was he could not beat a bullet.

"Mistake boy!" smirked his imminent assailant. "Send your boss my regards."

 _Thwip! Clang!_

The gun disappeared, with an eye stinging spark. Something had blown the gun at least four feet away from its user. Dick didn't wait to ask questions, producing a shuriken from his belt he struck a blow to the gunman's head, stunning him enough to allow Dick to deliver the finishing blow. Using his clubs to wind, then to finish off a blow to the head, knocking him unconscious.

Dick spun around, his clubs raised ready to engage the new threat.

"You're slipping Nightwing," said a disguised voice in the shadows. "Not getting old are you?"

Dick lowered his clubs and produced a small grin.

"Star City not keeping you busy enough these days Oliver?"

The mysterious figure moved out of the shadow, a green hood covered half his face, only his stubbled chin visible. He held an Oneida Kestrel compound bow in his left hand, a black carbon fibre arrow with green flights loaded and readied. A green leather jacket, cut off at the arms, hosting multiple compartment with tranquilizer darts and flash bang tips. A dark green quiver was thrown over his right shoulder, housing over thirty arrows, yet another walking arsenal.

This was Oliver Queen, also known as the Green Arrow. Queen was another owner of a billionaire company, Queen Industries based in Star City. Queen had become a vigilante after surviving being shipwrecked on an island in the China Sea.

"Well when Bludhaven scum start finding their way to my city, it makes me rearrange my travel schedule."

"We need to get to the roof," Dick answered back. "The hostages are secure but we need-"

Suddenly the barricaded door blew open with an ear shattering explosion. The resulting shockwave sent Dick flying back and landing heavily on his back. Oliver also found himself blown backwards, but he was closer to the wall connecting to the window, and caught a heavy blow to his right arm as he smacked into it with serious force.

Dick could hear a piercing ringing in his ears, the resulting shock of the explosion. His vision was blurred, shifting in and out of focus, although he could just make out two more guards leaving the room with the hostage in tow. Dick scrambled to his feet, struggling to find his balance, he was in no condition to give chase or take on any more targets. He reached into a compartment on his right arm and pulled out a small homing beacon. Flinging the device towards the hostage, it attached itself to the hostage's right shoe.

Oliver had managed to pick himself back up to his feet, still holding his right arm. He picked up his bow, which had been ripped from his grasp by the explosion, and flung it over his left shoulder.

"Quick thinking there kid," Oliver winced. "These guys are military trained. Who are they? And who were they after?"

Regaining his strength, "I may have some idea."


	5. Chapter 5

_Queen Industries, Bludhaven_

"Good evening Mr Queen," piped up a computerised voice.

"You've got to get Felicity to change that Oliver," Dick quipped. "Anyone would think you were lonely."

Oliver's face was still painted with pain. He propped his arm up onto his desk and winced, throbbing with pain after feeling the full force of the explosion, he started to feel for the source of the pain.

"Dislocated shoulder," Oliver grunted. "Got lucky! I have to reset this, be back in a moment."

Oliver slowly got to his feet, still wincing, and left his office.

Leaving Dick alone with his thoughts. His brain was still frazzled from what he had just experienced. He had tackled these guys before, back in Gotham, on that night. They were part of a militia that held Gotham with an iron grip, while Scarecrow set about reducing it to its knees.

Their techniques were similar to that of the militia run by the Arkham Knight. A mysterious figure, who had partnered with Scarecrow, who had a personal endeavour against Dick's former mentor, Batman.

But he was no longer in the picture. It was revealed that the Knight was Jason Todd. Jason had become Robin after Dick left for Bludhaven. Jason continued as Batman's sidekick, until he was captured by the Joker and imprisoned in an abandoned ward of Arkham Asylum. For over a year, the Joker had Jason exposed to every kind of torture and brainwashing techniques known to man. All that trauma had turned Jason on Batman, on Bruce.

He had even resorted to going after the people he used to love. Barbara Gordon had fought alongside Bruce and Jason, as another member of the Bat-family, as Batgirl. Yet again the Joker would deliver a devastating blow to the family, leaving Barbara crippled after a sick joke played on Commissioner Gordon. Her ordeal continued at the hands of the Knight, her abduction forced Gordon and Batman to do the unthinkable to rescue someone they both saw as their daughter.

Jason had branched out on his own after the events of his occupation of Gotham. Under the guise of the Red Hood, he founded his own team of crime fighters, banded together by those who struggle not to cross the line in their pursuit of justice. He had even saved Bruce from the clutches of Scarecrow, though not after Bruce's secret was revealed to the world.

"So what are your thoughts?" Oliver asked, walking back into the room. Out of costume, in a grey business suit but his arm now in sling.

"Hopefully the tracking device I planted on the hostage may lead us to where they base themselves. If I give you the tracker frequency, could you pull it up on your computer? Dick asked.

"No problem." Oliver replied confidently.

Dick removed a USB thumb drive from his belt and handed it to Oliver.

"It's going to take a couple of minutes to upload the frequencies," Oliver said.

Dick just stared at the computer screen, his mind racing.

"Something on your mind?" Oliver asked.

Dick paused.

"You remember the occupation of Gotham two years ago?" Dick asked, although he knew that Oliver knew what he was talking about.

"Of course. Not a night I'll forget in a hurry."

"You and me both. Well I'm sure those men tonight, were part of the Arkham Knight's militia two years ago.

They were held together briefly by Slade Wilson, after Batman defeated the Knight. But they disbanded days after the GCPD regained control. Most were imprisoned but many also managed to flee…I know one or two joined the newly reformed League of Assassins."

"You don't think the League has turned its attention to Bludhaven?" Oliver seemed confused. He had heard stories of Bruce's encounters with their former leader, Ra's Al Ghul.

"No. Ra's finally died for good that night. His body remains at Gotham City morgue and Robin regularly makes sure that's the case.

His eldest daughter, Nyssa, asserted her control of the League. She has not returned since that night."

"So…what? You don't think Slade Wilson is back? What am I saying? Not his mo."

"Wilson always works for money anyway. He was paid by the Knight to supervise the occupation."

"So we need to find out who these soldiers have now pledged their loyalty to?"

The computer started to beep. _No frequency detected._

"It seems the homing signal is not being picked up. Either the tracker has been destroyed or the location is disrupting the signal. We can't find them," Oliver groaned.

Dick was at a loss. He needed information about the origins of the militia, which may provide some more about their ulterior motivation.

Only one man would know.

"We need to track down the Red Hood," Dick said standing up straight with his right fist clenched. He had run-ins with the Hood over the last year. Mainly concerning their methods of enforcing justice.

"Well the Outlaws have moved onto Star City," Oliver answered. "But we haven't had any sightings of the Red Hood."

Oliver paused.

"But I may have a way to find him."


	6. Chapter 6

_Star City_

He hadn't been in Star City for nearly five years. The last time Nightwing had set foot in this city, he was here under the guise of Dick Grayson. He and Bruce Wayne were guests of Oliver Queen, while Oliver and Bruce discussed a collaboration of Queen Industries and Wayne Enterprises, Dick was taking in the sights of the night.

During his time scouting the rooftops he had come across another young ward, by the name of Roy Harper.

 _Five Years Before_

He had managed to excuse himself from Bruce and Oliver's company. All this business talk was giving Dick a migraine. He needed to clear his head, get out in the fresh air.

Dick made his way to the lower ground parking garage. Alfred, Bruce's faithful butler, was waiting patiently alongside a black Wayne Enterprises limo.

"Ah Master Grayson," Alfred said. "Are negotiations over already?"

"No Alfred." Dick laughed. "To be honest I don't even know how they are progressing. Not that I care."

"This deal between Master Bruce and Mr Queen are very important, Master Grayson. The relationship between the two of them has bloomed over the last year. Ever since they found out they shared common interests."

Dick grinned. Two billionaires with the same objective; to protect their city, when others couldn't.

"Anyway, I needed some fresh air Alfred. But I'll need a change of clothes."

"Certainly sir."

Alfred walked round to the trunk of the limo. Popping it open, inside were two black cases. He picked up the one at the front of the trunk and handed it to Dick.

"Will that be all Master Grayson?"

"Wouldn't happen to have a sandwich on you Alf?"

Alfred sighed, he turned away and got into the limo. He unfolded a copy of the Gotham Herald and sat back, as Dick headed back towards the elevator.

Dick pushed the button for the roof, although he had no intention of walking out of the elevator. As soon as the doors closed, Dick leapt onto the handrail and punched out a panel in the roof of the elevator. Case in hand, he clambered into the elevator shaft. He had at least two minutes before it reached the top floor, give or take another minute for unscheduled stops.

He placed the case down and clicked open the locks. Inside was his icon red and green suit, with the yellow letter R standing out in the dark.

The elevator didn't stop once, on its way to the roof, but Dick was already in costume in time to dive through the emergency exit hatch and out into a red sun evening. He wasn't used to being out this early.

The sun was setting and it would be dark soon. He was sure Bruce would have his head for heading out, on his own, during the early evening. But how would he know how early he had set out?

Dick didn't know much about Star City, but what he did know was that it was rife with crime, another aspect it shared with Gotham. And tonight was no exception.

Police sirens screamed in the distance, with his attuned senses Dick had pinpointed their origins. A car chase heading through the downtown area of the city.

Dick launched himself from the rooftop out over the street below. He fired his grappling hook towards the nearest building to the south, he swung for one block before repeating the process as he chased down the three pursuing police cars.

Dick continued to close in on the chase until he found himself directly above the trailing police car. He swung one more time to move ahead before tucking into a freefall. Spreading his fluorescent yellow cape to slow his decent, he landed directly on the roof of the police car. In the distance he could see a black soft top sports car slowly pulling away from the chasing vehicles.

He had to get to the head of the chase. Using his grappling hook he zipped onto the roof of the second pursuer and eventually made his way to the lead car.

He had to slow the getaway car down somehow. He clicked open a compartment on his belt, which contained his Shurikens. Steadying himself he launched a Shuriken towards the rear left tyre.

As soon as it impacted the tyre blew out, but it seemed someone else had had the same thought. The rear right type exploded at almost exactly the same time, a red arrow had appeared out of nowhere, send the car into a violent spin. Careering into a street light, halfway up the block.

The lead chasing police car screeched to a halt and Dick sent himself into a somersault and landing in the headlights of the crashed getaway car.

With a deafening clang, the driver's door flew from its hinges. Two stocky built men pulled themselves from the wreckage. They wore light brown hoodies with beige cargo pants and wielding an AR-18 assault rifle each.

Through sheer anticipation, Dick dived for cover behind the hood of the wrecked getaway car, as both turned towards the flashing police lights and began to fire continuously. The ricochets had the SCPD officers pinned down behind their vehicles and Dick was also trapped in his position.

They began to run towards the nearest alleyway, still firing blindly at their pursuers. Dick had to move, if he lost their track they could easily get away. Firing his grappling hook he propelled himself to the roof overlooking the alleyway the criminals had entered.

Gunfire had stopped. The darkness of the alley blinded Dick.

He dropped to the ground below, halfway into the alley. Twisting a hundred and eighty degrees, back towards the entrance to the alley. Another police had pulled up and shone its lights into the alley. A shadowed figure stood in the light, only his outline stood out.

'Looks a bit like this city's Robin Hood,' Dick thought to himself.

The hood and the quiver stood out in the backlight.

"You're not needed here bird boy," the hood figure stated. "You should have stayed on home turf."

"Well it seems your boss is busy too," Dick shouted back. "You are Robin Hood's Little John right?"

Suddenly, the sound of helicopter rotor blades filled the air over the alley. A police spotlight instantly lit up a circled area around the anonymous figure. There stood a guy in his middle twenties, with a red leather jacket and a red leather hood covering his forehead and eyes. Red leather pants with small crossbow darts protruding from four slots around his thighs. A red compound bow in his left hand.

"I don't need your help in my city!" the figure screamed. He pointed towards a dumpster propped up against the southern building. The two gunmen were tied up with a high tensile wire, slumped over the cover of the dumpster.

Turning sharply the hooded figure whipped an arrow from his quiver and fired it towards the roof. The arrow opened to form a grappling hook and instantly he disappeared to the roof, leaving Dick alone with the restrained felons.

Oliver Queen's limo flew past Queen Industries, in downtown Star City. Dick and Oliver were in no mood to indulge in business pursuits this night. They were heading towards the glades the most impoverished area of the city. It had been the main petri dish of crime in Star City.

"Roy has been back in Star City for nearly a month," Oliver said. "He denied the Red Hood was in town. But Felicity has dug up more Outlaw activity around the glades since he returned."

"Where the Outlaws tread, the Red Hood is not far behind," Dick timidly replied.

"Dick I know you loved Jason once," Oliver said with a hint of resentment in his voice. "But he did side with Crane. You don't think he may have returned to the mercenary life?"

Dick fell silent. Jason had always regretted taking Bruce away from the Bat-family. Yet his forever damaged mental state meant he was constantly unpredictable.


End file.
